Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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After months of public meetings and consideration by the Thompson Falls City Council, it came down to a tie vote from the mayor Monday evening to decide whether or not to continue with a proposed wastewater treatment project. Mayor Jerry Lacy voted to form two Special Improvement Districts (SIDs) after the council split 3-3 during a roll-call vote. Council members Dennis Newman, Tom Eggensperger and Shawni Vaught voted against creating the SIDs, while Lynne Kersten, Raoul Ribeiro and Earlene...
It all began with a painting of Saint William of Vercelli, an Italian who was born in the year 1085 and soon after became an orphan. His story is that he later dedicated his life to God and even healed a blind man. This painting, depicting Saint William with his wolf assistant, was gifted four years ago to Saint William Catholic Church in Thompson Falls from Kathy Altman, a Thompson Falls resident, who moved from New Jersey to the area just over five years ago. Little did she know at this time t...
It was the end of January when the plow truck that services western Sanders County caught fire and was destroyed, just in time for the abundance of snow that fell in February. In order to maintain cleared roadways, the county had to develop a plan to offset this loss of machinery and availability of the facility it was stored in, which also received damage from the flames. County Commissioner Tony Cox reported that an investigation has revealed that the plow's battery mounting bracket had...
We welcome the signs of spring. The smell of skunks, the first sighting of robins and the bare ground peeking through the snow piles. You can also tell when it’s spring when the roadkill of the winter months starts appearing in the melting snow berms along the road. It’s just a part of living in northwest Montana and the life cycle of local wildlife. This week, however, we noticed another kind of roadkill appearing on Sanders County roads and streets. It’s the ever-present trash we see. Walking into a local school last week, we noticed cans...
March is National Red Cross Month, and there’s no better time to roll up your sleeves, get involved in your community and join our team. Almost every day in Montana, the Red Cross responds to a disaster, many right here in this area. Our Disaster Action Team volunteers are often some of the first on the scene, delivering food, shelter and support to families following a flood or house fire. The Red Cross also collects lifesaving blood and keeps Montana’s hospital shelves stocked. Blood ambassador volunteers welcome our blood donors and mak...
We have a front row seat to the greatest reality show ever! Who needs Survivor or The Bachelor when we’ve got The United States Congress for entertainment? I sometimes watch the news now just to see who got (or is soon to be) voted off the island. It would all be laughable if it wasn’t so pathetic! This past few weeks are a perfect example. The “party of tolerance” (you know…the party that believes anyone who disagrees with them on any given issue is a bigot) had to draft and approve an “anti-...
4 YEARS AGO • MARCH 6, 1969 ROCK SLIDE BLOCKS TRAVEL ON CUT-OFF Traffic over Highway 35, the Paradise-St. Regis cutoff was halted for almost two days Thursday and Friday by a huge rock slide four miles north of St. Regis. First word of the slide came after a Superior woman, Cheryl Doherty, crashed into the rocks about 5 a.m. After treatment for cuts and bruises in the Mineral County Hospital, she was released later Thursday. Employees of the Rehbein Contracting of Plains, who were working on Interstate 90 at St. Regis brought in a large f...
BETTY KENNEY, Thompson Falls – “I always enjoy putting in a garden. This Easter, I’m looking forward to going to Texas to where my son just moved.” BONNIE BUTCHER, Thompson Falls – “Working in the garden and digging in the ground. I’m anxiously looking forward to doing that.” ROB MANDEVILLE, Trout Creek – “I’m going to get electricity from a generator. I’m living in a camp trailer and wish I had done that years ago.” PAUL POSEY, Thompson Falls – “I’m going fishing. Any kind of fish. The waters are coming up and there’s lots of food for the fi...
Ambulances: Noxon, 1; T. Falls, 7; Plains, 4; H. Springs, 4. Sunday, March 3 Possible intoxicated driver, window broken out of vehicle, Hwy. 200, Perma. Welfare check requested, Plains. Monday, March 4 Vehicle slide off, vehicle close to railroad tracks, non-injury, non-blocking, T. Falls. Aggravated assault, altercation between two males, Noxon. Abandoned vehicle on Buffalo Bill Rd., Plains. Erratic driver, westbound Hwy. 200, Plains. Welfare check requested, T. Creek. Tuesday, March 5 Abandoned vehicle, Upper Lynch Creek, Plains. Assist...
Montana Highway Patrol Brandi Steiger, 42, obstructing a peace officer, $185; driving under the influence of alcohol, 1st offense, $725 and 1 day in jail. Dalton Bursell, 23, no liability insurance, 1st offense, $185. Catalina Mitchell, 41; operating with expired registration, $85; speeding in a restricted zone, $65. Bruce Gove, 63, day speeding, $20. Mitchell Stuart, 18, seatbelt violation, $20. Oleg Morozov, 26, speeding in a restricted zone, $105. Dalton Hooten, 21, seatbelt violation, $20. Duane Huntsman, 43, seatbelt violation, $20....
Eric Malchow pleaded not guilty Tuesday to two counts of sexual assault, both felonies, in which the victims were less than 16 years old, and one count of felony intimidation. The Thompson Falls man is being held on $25,000 bond in the Sanders County Jail. District Court Judge James Manley on Tuesday ordered that Malchow can be released on his own recognizance if he complies with GPS monitoring. The victims were age 8 and 9 when the alleged abuse took place in the summer of 2018. Trial for Malchow was set for Aug. 12. Michael Stocking was...
Last weekend, 93 members of Sanders County 4-H clubs presented everything from how to make cookies to why community service is important in the annual 4-H Communication Days presentations. The presentations included 66 demonstrations, 22 illustrated talks, three impromptu speeches, two prepared speeches and one video. The talks were given Saturday at Thompson Falls High School and Sunday at Hot Springs School, with some members doing makeup presentations at other scheduled times. Topics varied f...
Phyllis Adams, 81 of Poulsbo, Washington, passed away Wednesday, February 6, at home surrounded by family. She was born March 22, 1937, in Harlem, Montana, to Lauretta and Raymond Gable. Phyllis was raised in Thompson Falls, Montana, with three sisters (Helen, Rachel and Sheila) and a brother, Donald. She married Leon “Lee” Adams on June 6, 1953 in Thompson Falls. From there, they resided in Montana, Nebraska and Idaho. They moved to Poulsbo in 1967 where Lee took a position at the Keyport Naval Torpedo Station. Phyllis worked as a legal secret... Full story
Buddy Roy Lancaster, 56, passed away peacefully at his home in Thompson Falls on February 7, 2019. Buddy came to Thompson Falls in the early to mid 90s from Bigfork, Montana. He enjoyed golfing, was an avid firearms enthusiast and was an active member of the Clark Fork Valley Elks Lodge. He helped build golf courses in Bigfork, Star City and Velva, North Dakota. He worked in and around Thompson Falls doing construction and dirt work. He built roads and septic systems. Buddy also spent several... Full story
Clyde Stanley Baker went home to his Savior March 9 after a long battle with cancer. He was born in Orting, Wash. June 29, 1941 to Stanley and Norma Baker. He loved the Lord with all his heart and was a loving husband and father. He will be remembered for his kindness, patience, and great sense of humor. There was never a stranger to Clyde, he could talk to anyone. He is survived by his wife and best friend of 57 years, Patti; sons, Brandt Baker of Vancouver, Wash. and Darren (Pat) Baker of... Full story
Chelsea and Randy Timmer of Plains welcomed son, Kayden Richard Allen Timmer Monday, Feb. 25 at 12:49 a.m. at Clark Fork Valley Hospital in Plains. He weighed seven pounds, eight ounces and measured 20.5 inches long. Kayden joins siblings Alexander and Calvin. Maternal grandparents are Debi Kulawinski and David Kulawinski, both of Plains. Paternal grandmother is Sherry Timmer of Plains. Welcome, Kayden.... Full story
Mayor Jerry Lacy (right) was recognized for his years of public service at the Thompson Falls City Council meeting on Monday. Lacy received an Outstanding Service Award from Rural Water Systems, Inc. Lacy earned applause and a standing ovation when accepting the award from Montana Rural Water Executive Director John Camden on Monday....
A doe searches for food after last week's snowfall near Plains. Spring finally sprung in Sanders County this week, with temperatures forecasted in the low 50s this weekend....
The Thompson Falls Public Library will host the Montana Conversations program “Montana Women Writers” with Caroline Patterson on Tuesday, March 19. The program will be at the library at 6:30 p.m. The presentation is free and open to the public. Funding for the Montana Conversations program is provided by Humanities Montana through grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Montana’s Cultural Trust, and private donations. Patterson provides an hour-long survey of Montana women writers, from early Native American writers throu...
The Montana State University (MSU) Pesticide Education Program will be coordinating five regional pesticide training events across Montana in April, including one in Plains April 10. These seven-hour trainings are designed for individuals who want to learn more about pesticides and/or qualify for a Montana private applicator license. A private applicator license enables pesticide applicators to purchase and use restricted use pesticide products to manage pests on land they own, rent or lease. The registration fee is $30 and will cover training...
More than 1,000 Montana students in grades 7-12 attended the annual Montana Council of Teachers Mathematics Contest held at the University of Montana last Thursday. Thompson Falls was well represented by forty students who were selected by mathematics teachers Jeffreyanne VonHeeder and Katrina Nygaard. In six, half-hour rounds, students were tested (grade level based) on Foundations, Number Concepts, Dimensions and Shapes, Problem Solving, Applied Math, Intermediate or Advanced Math and a Pot...
WITH THE TRACK cleared of most snow by heavy machinery last week, the Thompson Falls High School track and field teams began practice for the season Monday. Snow or no more snow, the spring sports seasons will start in earnest in only a few short weeks....
The State B champion Bigfork Vikings, who defeated Missoula Loyola 47-43 in the championship game in Belgrade Friday, have placed six of their players on the 2018-19 District 7B all-conference team. From Thompson Falls, brothers Ryan and Nathan Schraeder were the only two Blue Hawks selected for all-conference honors. Ryan, a junior, was named first team and Nathan, the only freshman in 7B to earn all-conference status, was named to the second team. Bigfork seniors Logan Gilliard, Anders...
Hot Springs brothers Tyler and Brandon Knudsen, both first team selections, highlight District 14C’s boys basketball all-conference picks from Sanders County, it was announced earlier this week. A senior and a junior, Tyler and Brandon Knudsen are joined on the first team by Arlee seniors Greg Whitesell, Lane Johnson and Isaac Fisher, and Charlo senior Landers Smith. Arlee won the regular season and District 14C tournament titles, and went on to finish second in the Western C tourney two weeks ago and second again at the State C tourney in B...
